Who Is Jesus?

Two weeks ago we began a new teaching series called, Elements, “The building blocks of our faith.” Our goal as a church is to learn the ground level beliefs of our faith and how all of these blocks fit together to have a better understanding of who God is and our relationship with him. Today I want to ask this question… “who is Jesus?” If someone asks you, “Who is Jesus?” How would you answer?

Would you describe to them the characteristics Jesus’s? He’s compassionate. He’s a servant. He’s loving, kind and forgiving. What about using biblical quotes to answer the question who is Jesus? Well Saul, known as Paul was blinded on the road and Jesus referred to himself as Jesus the Nazarene that he pursues to persecute. How about Ponius Pilate? He asked Jesus, are you the king of the jews? If someone was to ask, Who is Alicia Waggoner.

I don’t say.. she’s the daughter of Doug French and Jeanie Kanagy. She was born on January 4th, 1984. And went to school in Huntingdon, PA No… How would I answer the question, Who is Alicia? I would say, She’s my wife and I am her husband. She’s my life’s partner. She’s my best friend. I would even say, Alicia is my biggest supporter. When the hardships of life and ministry begin to weigh upon me, she’s there to encourage and to care for and bandage the wounds of ministry.

What we learn is that when the question is asked, who is Alicia…. I don’t answer with characteristics or her qualities,……. I answer that question relationally. And the reality is, Only when we truly know someone deeply, can we answer who they are through relationship. I want to read a Scripture from the gospel of Mark and in chapter 8, if you would like, turn with me to Mark 8. And let’s look at the question, with a relational intent, who is Jesus?

Beginning in verse 27… Im going to read it with a little bit of commentary. 27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. Jesus has been ministering in Galilee and a lot has happened. His own town rejected him, his beloved cousin, John the Baptist was beheaded, Jesus sent the disciples out to call for repentance. We find in chapter 8 that Jesus feeds the 4,000 and the pharisees demand a sign from Jesus to prove his authority.

And so, we find Jesus and the disciples making their way up from Galilee to Caesarea Philippi. The place where Jesus will eventually say to Peter, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. And so, Jesus asked his disciples… “Who do people say I am?” 28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” It’s really a question to test the faith of the disciples.

Right? I mean, how many times have you been around someone that has said something negative about someone else, knowing that they have had very little, to no relationship with that person. Think about it…? How many times have we judged or Assassinated someones character based off of what someone else has said about them? And not only that, but how many times have we based our judgment on someone without really having any relationship to them.

Right? As humans it is easy for us to judge a persons character based off of the lens of someone else’s perception. And most times the hardest part is hearing the negativity of what has been said and being open ourselves to the fact that most perceptions of those who is assassinating someone’s else’s character, They’re subjective. Meaning that the truth they speak of, might be true to them, but is mainly truth based off of personal feelings and experiences without deep relationship with the one they are gossiping against.

But Jesus isn’t looking for the disciples to get this wrong, he’s looking to gauge their faithful relationship to him, not to what others would say about him. So he turns to his disciples and in a wya goes, ok well Im not interested in who they think I am.. let me ask the 12 of you…. 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” That’s relationship.

Jesus’s main concerned isn’t about what others think he is… most of them I would bet aren’t even following him. You see, he’s drawing his disciples in and away from other peoples subjectives truths to focus on the objective truth of who he is… this objective truth is built off of this… Deep personal Relationship. And so, how did Peter answer… Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Messiah was a huge term to use. It’s translated as Christo’s. Meaning, the anointed one. Christ. You’ll be surprised that Christ isn’t Jesus last name… Christo’s, is the word for Messiah. Messiah means, anointed one. And we find in Scripture three offices where one would be anointed. There were three elected and established offices where they gathered… poured oil over your head and declared you the anointed one to fulfill this place.

And it was Prophet, priest and king. So the first is Prophet…. Jesus as the anointed prophet. A prophet was one who would speak for God. And they usually would say something like this….. “thus saith the Lord.” But Jesus wasn’t just any prophet, but “the” greatest prophet. And he didn’t say, thus saith the Lord, he would say I say unto you… He didn’t speak for God, he spoke as God.

And he speaks to us with a prophetic message. Let me ask…What was usually the message a prophet would bring? A prophet would bring to the people the message of repentance. All Throughout Israel’s history, God sent prophets to his people to speak on his behalf, to call them away from the unfaithfulness of idolatry and back to him. It was a tough anointing and position because no one wants to hear the message of a prophet.

No one wants to hear, repent you sinful people and bring your hearts back in line with God’s word. So, What was Jesus’s message? His message was: Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is near. I think we always miss that sometimes… and no I’m not trying to downplay the cross… that’s a good part. The best part is His resurrection because there would be no reason for us to be here today if we didn’t believe by faith in the resurrection of Jesus…

But how many times have we glazed over scriptures like Matthew 4:17 when Jesus comes out of the wilderness and the Bible says, “ from then on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is near. As greatest Prophet, he calls us to repent and to return. His message is the ultimate message of the kingdom. It’s greater than any of the messages to ever be given.

It’s greater than Moses’s message and greater than Elijah’s. At Jesus’s transfiguration in Matthew 17:5, when the Father announces that Jesus is his beloved Son, he adds the command, “Listen to him” It points back into the old Testament word in Deuteronomy 18:15: 15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers (He’s speaking of Jesus prophetically)—it is to him you shall listen— And when Jesus transfigures?

Who shows up? Moses and Elijah. The message is clear: Jesus is the greater prophet — the greatest prophet — the actual living Word of God. He spoke not on God’s behalf, but as God. He spoke not just the words of God, but as the word of God. That’s what Johns gospel introduces to us. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus spoke not with the authority of God, but with all the authority of being God!

His word is his word.. and it’s final. Because he’s anointed and appointed by God. Jesus is also the highest of priest. Priest are the mediators between God and man. When I was in middle school I became a peer mediator. My role was when two people would argue, fight or have a disagreement, I was trained to Interject between the two parties and bring them into a solid understanding towards peace.

And what was the base issue in most arguments and misunderstandings? Poor communication. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,…” So, we have no one but Jesus to mediate between us and God. Sadly many of us are missing out on relationship with Jesus because we have poor communication with him. If you really want to see how Jesus mediates between us and God, I would challenge you to read the book of John, chapters 14-17.

That is known as the high priestly prayer of Jesus. If I was given only a few chapters for the rest of my life, I would choose John chapters 14-17… Jesus prays for you and me. He interceded for you and me before the cross. He begins in chapter 14 with the truth by saying, I am the way, truth and life. No one comes near the fathers except through Him.

He sets himself up as the mediator, the hight priest of God’s people. Then in chapter 15 he promises the holy Spirit. Who will lead his people into all truth… so where does the Spirit lead??… to Jesus who is the word, who is the truth, who is the high priest. Who intercedes for us between God and man. Chapter 15 talks about being children of God and being attached to the true vine.

Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branches. And all through these four chapters, one main truth is evident. Those who belong to Jesus are called, to bare fruit. And not just any kind of fruit but eternal fruit. He warns everyone, the world will hate you, but I have put my spirit within you. This is why Paul says in Romans, 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Jesus is the greatest mediator. He doesn’t have a term. It doesn’t run out. It was bought by his very blood. So God the Father expects that what we do, we do not do on our own, but we do through Jesus.

We face our loneliness through Jesus. We face our hurt and rejection of others, through Jesus. Jesus becomes our real help in times of trouble and trials. Jesus is our permeant and forever mediator…. Because He’s anointed and appointed by God almighty. He’s also the king of kings. Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” What government is he talking about? I believe one of the greatest misconceptions that we believe… is that we are a christian nation…. I’m sorry but we are not a Christian nation. A christian nation would be a nation that pursues holiness and oneness with Christ. I don’t see that in America. We have great intentions on being a good Christian Nation…

but we’re not and I’m not sure if we will ever be. A christian nation would seek the souls of the lost. I don’t see that being on any political ticket or agenda this voting season. When was the last time someone running for office had on their ticket, “Seeking the lost?” A christian nation would seek truth. All I see from Washington, the seat of America is that they are making us so lost in truth that we don't know what’s up or down anymore.

Billy Graham sermon in 1971… listen to what he says, “Some people say that Jesus Christ is the one upon which Western culture has been built and that America is really Jesus organization on earth. Well I want to tell you if his organization depends on the bureaucracy we built up in Washington, we’re finished. There’s not much hope for the world. Jesus Christ…he is not the establishment Christ. He’s building another kingdom.

He’s building an eternal kingdom.” Jesus reminds us in John 18:36, that My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” The kingdom we are heirs to as born again Christians is one of peace and unity. Isaiah a few chapters later would write: “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” The unity the church proclaims and the kingdom we are adopted into comes from the child that is born, King of Kings.

And wherever the king is, His kingdom is there as well. Jesus is prophet who speaks for God, he is the priest that mediates between us and God and Jesus comes into our life and he asks, am I your king? Sometimes God speaks to us in inconvenient ways. And this is what he laid on my heart to share with you today… “In a world where the generation is confused about identity, Jesus asks you, who am I to you?” He is asking you a question that will either be answered by what you know about Jesus, or by your relationship with Him.

How can he be? How can Jesus relationally be our prophet, priest and king? One answer… “Galatians 2:20… I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” I have been crucified. Your wants, Your desires, Your comforts, Your way of living, Your perception of how things should be….

Has All of who I am, been given over to, Jesus, the anointed one. For me, I guess the biggest question I had to ask myself was this… has what I ever wanted led me to walk closer to Christ and has my preferences ever driven me to seek the lost? Or have they been comforts to keep me comfortable where I am… I dunno about you, but relying on my preferences and comforts sounds to me a whole lot like bondage.

Everything and everyone else’s demands of me or how they think I should remain the same.. must be rendered under, The anointed words of the prophet The anointed mediation of the priest And the anointed command of my king. It’s to be answered relationally. Not just what you know about Jesus… not just what you’ve heard about Jesus… what who do you say he is? Only when we truly do not know someone do we answer with characteristics and qualities.

So hear the words of the Lord… asking you this morning….Who do you say I am? *